Yet another addition to the growing list of programmers signing on to Comcast’s “On Demand Online.” CBS will join the cable providers trial program, which will allow subscribers to get Web access to shows they get on TV.
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Posts Tagged ‘list’
10 Ways To Be Productive in 10 Minutes
July 13th, 2009 |
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Most of my free time, except when I’m doing it on purpose, tends to come in short blocks. I rarely have 2 hours free, but might, over the course of a work day, have those same two hours in twelve ten-minute bursts.
I realized recently that, for the most part, I waste all of this free time. Since it’s such a short period of time, it seems to not strike me as worth using productively. I spend those ten minute periods doing things like staring aimlessly at the computer screen, picking my nose, or trying to remember what on Earth I have to do in ten minutes. I’m a big fan of periodically doing this (zoning out for a while’s my favorite way to launch back into productive work), but I started to notice that, over the course of a day or week, that time really does add up.
So I developed a list of ten things to do with ten minutes. Now, when I’ve got a few minutes to spare or kill, I run down this list, and do one or two of them – it makes my time more productive, and tends to give me longer blocks of free time later, because I’ve already finished all the quick tasks that tend to pile up at the end of my task list.
Make a Phone Call
Since most of us seem to be near a phone just about 24 hours a day, and always seem to have someone we should or have to call, free moments are the natural time to make a few phone calls. Only having ten minutes is a nice bonus – it makes sure you’re not going to get into some long, drawn-out conversation you’d rather not have. Whether you need to follow up on something, make a plan, or just catch up with a friend, phone calls can be done quickly, and anywhere.
Cook
If you’ve got a few minutes, make yourself some food, either for now or for later. Sometimes I’ll make lunch for the next day, or just throw together a snack for when I inevitably get hungry (usually a point when I don’t have ten seconds to spare, much less ten minutes). Having something around to munch on, or having the cooking process started, makes it all go faster when I need it to.
Nap
I’m a huge proponent of cat-naps, and anyone who says they don’t work is a dirty liar. Put your head down, close your eyes, and go to sleep. Sure, you’ve only got ten minutes, but who cares? The simple act of closing your eyes, clearing your head and relaxing (more akin to meditation) is hugely beneficial, as is even a few minutes of sleep. You’ll come back rejuvenated, in a better place to do more later.
Read Something
Keep a reading list somewhere accessible. I used to have a bookmarks file on my computer called “Read Later”; now I use Instapaper. Wherever you keep it, keep a list of things you want to read of watch, and plow through a few of them in spare moments. Applications like Instapaper are great because they have mobile versions, but any list you can come up with works.
Write Emails
This is much the same as phone calls – we’ve all got emails we could write, even if they’re not absolutely essential this very second. For me, at least, I hate writing emails longer than about six sentences, so I tend to leave them off as long as possible. I realize, though, that in ten minutes I can write a number of emails, and get through a good chunk of my “Reply To” list. Makes other people happy, and makes me feel more productive. Win-win.
Strike Up a Conversation
If you’ve got nothing to do, why not go build up a relationship? Maybe it’s the person in your neighbor cubicle, or maybe it’s the girl behind the counter at the coffee shop – whoever it is, strike up a conversation. Time flies, and who knows? You might just meet someone fascinating.
Clean Up
The single most productive thing I do in these in-between times is organize. In ten minutes, it’s ridiculous how much filing I can get done, or how much email purging and sorting I can get through. Pick one area or one task, and plow through it. I try to clear my desk in ten minutes, and almost always find I can. Usually I just throw everything away, but that’s beside the point. Ten minutes is more than enough time to make a huge dent in even the biggest piles of junk.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming and mind mapping are great ways to spend a few spare minutes, and are great because you can do either with almost anything: a computer, paper, a napkin, or whatever you might find at hand. Just start writing stuff – what do you have to do? What cool ideas do you have? You’ll be amazed how much comes out, and how quickly, when you just sit there and start writing. Or, try making a list of 100, a list centered around a particular topic (say, Ideas for Making Millions) that’s exactly 100: no more, no less. Only having ten minutes makes the ideas fly out, and you’ll be amazed how good they are.
Stumble
StumbleUpon, a website/toolbar that takes you to random webpage after random webpage, is frequently single-handedly credited with the downfall of Western Civilization. You know what? I’m cool with that. Stumbling is a great way to learn new things, expose yourself to interesting Web tidbits you’d never find otherwise, and broaden your horizons of all things Web. Spend a few minutes with StumbleUpon, and I guarantee you’ll learn something.
Journal
I kept a journal for a long time, and then stopped once I discovered I’m not interesting in the least. Now I wish I hadn’t stopped – who knows who might one day find it interesting, or when I’ll want to look back? Instead of a long-form journal (though I highly recommend keeping one if it works for you), just take a few minutes and write down a few high- and low-lights of the day. Usually, just jot down the first few things that come to mind about your life since you wrote last. In a year, ten years, or a hundred, you’ll be glad you did.
What do you do to fill in the blanks, and make use of these short bursts of free time?
Photo: Vahid Rahmanian
David Pierce is a college student, freelance writer, and lover of all things Web-based. He blogs about the digital world at The 2.0 Life, and can frequently be found on Twitter .
New claims of tabloid phone hacking
July 12th, 2009 |
No Comments
• Top BBC executive was affected, says newspaper
• Police have begun to contact alleged victims
A top BBC executive and the former Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair were targeted by the News of the World’s phone hacking operation, it was claimed today.
Blair was named in a report in the Sunday Times, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News International, which also owns the News of the World. However, tonight police sources denied his name was on the list.
The names emerged as the Met said it had begun to contact people who allegedly had been the subjects of hacking by the tabloid newspaper, but warned that the process could take some time to complete. “We are not discussing who we are contacting at all,” a spokeswoman said.
BBC sources said that the corporation did not know which of its executives had been affected by the scam at the paper, which led to Clive Goodman, then News of the World royal correspondent, and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, going to jail in 2007.
Andy Coulson, former editor of the tabloid and now director of communications for the Conservative party, subsequently resigned from the paper saying he did not know about the hacking.
Late on Friday the police confirmed they had started to contact people after the Guardian revealed last week that News International had paid £1m to settle privacy actions brought by Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, and two others who took action after Mulcaire hacked into their mobile phone messages.
“The process of contacting people is under way and we expect this to take some time to complete,” the police said.
The Met today refused to divulge how many people it was contacting.
The Sunday Times reported that the police investigation into Goodman and Mulcaire uncovered a list of “fewer than 20 people”; it included Boris Johnson, now the London mayor, and a senior executive at the BBC, whose phones were illegally accessed.
This list includes those named in the 2006 court action against Goodman and Mulcaire – besides Taylor, the model Elle Macpherson, the Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, the publicist Max Clifford, and football agent Sky Andrew.
Macpherson’s publicist said in a statement: “Elle is obviously very concerned that her private telephone conversations and those of other people may have been intruded upon by reputable newspapers. She is aware that the director of public prosecutions (DPP) and the information commissioner have files on the issue. “Miss Macpherson is confident in the ability and the determination of the DPP, the police and information commissioner to ensure that appropriate and proportionate action is taken to prevent any further abuse.”
The DPP is reviewing police evidence and could recommend further charges.
A second, larger, list of about 50 people, contained the names Mulcaire had obtained mobile phone details for, but which police had no evidence had been successfully hacked. The Sunday Times reported that Blair and the former culture minister Tessa Jowell were on this list.
The third list, according to the Sunday Times, reportedly included the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and held between 400 and 500 names that Mulcaire wanted to target but for which he had no numbers.
This week the culture, media and sport committee, which has reopened its 2007 phone hacking inquiry in the light of the Guardian’s revelations, will hear evidence from the Guardian.
The following week, the News International lawyer Tom Crone, and News of the World editor Colin Myler (appointed after Coulson’s resignation), will go before the MPs. The committee hopes to hear evidence from the former executive chairman of News International Les Hinton, who at the original inquiry said Goodman had been acting alone without the knowledge of News of the World executives. Hinton has yet to confirm his attendance.
Public figures and celebrities who fear they were the subjects of the phone hacking have been contacting lawyers. The Bethnal Green and Bow MP George Galloway said he was seeing if any action could be taken. The politician had clashed with the paper in 2006 when its investigations editor, Mahzer Mahmood, attempted to “sting” him at a hotel and implicate him in illegal political funding.
Rod Christie-Miller, partner at the specialist media law firm Schillings, said: “Clients are going to want to see what comes out. Sooner or later there is going to be more concrete evidence about who has been targeted.”
Christie-Miller said his firm was already suspicious that phone hacking could have been used against high-profile clients before the story broke.
“It is something we were concerned may have been happening,” he added. “We have advised clients to change settings on phones and turn off bluetooth.”
One lawyer told mediaguardian.co.uk he had advised clients to “hold their horses” to see what details emerged over the coming days but added that legal claims were “imminent”.
The report in the Sunday Times, sister paper of the News of the World, shed further light on the Gordon Taylor case.
The paper stated: “Taylor’s claim was settled when new evidence emerged out of the police files that another News of the World reporter knew how Mulcaire was obtaining some of his information,
“That reporter has since left the paper and there is no evidence he committed any offence. News International executives are not aware of any other evidence in the police files that show any other News of the World journalist was involved in commissioning Mulcaire to hack phones.”
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
New claims of tabloid phone hacking
July 12th, 2009 |
No Comments
• Top BBC executive was affected, says newspaper
• Police have begun to contact alleged victims
A top BBC executive and the former Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair were targeted by the News of the World’s phone hacking operation, it was claimed today.
Blair was named in a report in the Sunday Times, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News International, which also owns the News of the World. However, tonight police sources denied his name was on the list.
The names emerged as the Met said it had begun to contact people who allegedly had been the subjects of hacking by the tabloid newspaper, but warned that the process could take some time to complete. “We are not discussing who we are contacting at all,” a spokeswoman said.
BBC sources said that the corporation did not know which of its executives had been affected by the scam at the paper, which led to Clive Goodman, then News of the World royal correspondent, and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, going to jail in 2007.
Andy Coulson, former editor of the tabloid and now director of communications for the Conservative party, subsequently resigned from the paper saying he did not know about the hacking.
Late on Friday the police confirmed they had started to contact people after the Guardian revealed last week that News International had paid £1m to settle privacy actions brought by Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, and two others who took action after Mulcaire hacked into their mobile phone messages.
“The process of contacting people is under way and we expect this to take some time to complete,” the police said.
The Met today refused to divulge how many people it was contacting.
The Sunday Times reported that the police investigation into Goodman and Mulcaire uncovered a list of “fewer than 20 people”; it included Boris Johnson, now the London mayor, and a senior executive at the BBC, whose phones were illegally accessed.
This list includes those named in the 2006 court action against Goodman and Mulcaire – besides Taylor, the model Elle Macpherson, the Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, the publicist Max Clifford, and football agent Sky Andrew.
Macpherson’s publicist said in a statement: “Elle is obviously very concerned that her private telephone conversations and those of other people may have been intruded upon by reputable newspapers. She is aware that the director of public prosecutions (DPP) and the information commissioner have files on the issue. “Miss Macpherson is confident in the ability and the determination of the DPP, the police and information commissioner to ensure that appropriate and proportionate action is taken to prevent any further abuse.”
The DPP is reviewing police evidence and could recommend further charges.
A second, larger, list of about 50 people, contained the names Mulcaire had obtained mobile phone details for, but which police had no evidence had been successfully hacked. The Sunday Times reported that Blair and the former culture minister Tessa Jowell were on this list.
The third list, according to the Sunday Times, reportedly included the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and held between 400 and 500 names that Mulcaire wanted to target but for which he had no numbers.
This week the culture, media and sport committee, which has reopened its 2007 phone hacking inquiry in the light of the Guardian’s revelations, will hear evidence from the Guardian.
The following week, the News International lawyer Tom Crone, and News of the World editor Colin Myler (appointed after Coulson’s resignation), will go before the MPs. The committee hopes to hear evidence from the former executive chairman of News International Les Hinton, who at the original inquiry said Goodman had been acting alone without the knowledge of News of the World executives. Hinton has yet to confirm his attendance.
Public figures and celebrities who fear they were the subjects of the phone hacking have been contacting lawyers. The Bethnal Green and Bow MP George Galloway said he was seeing if any action could be taken. The politician had clashed with the paper in 2006 when its investigations editor, Mahzer Mahmood, attempted to “sting” him at a hotel and implicate him in illegal political funding.
Rod Christie-Miller, partner at the specialist media law firm Schillings, said: “Clients are going to want to see what comes out. Sooner or later there is going to be more concrete evidence about who has been targeted.”
Christie-Miller said his firm was already suspicious that phone hacking could have been used against high-profile clients before the story broke.
“It is something we were concerned may have been happening,” he added. “We have advised clients to change settings on phones and turn off bluetooth.”
One lawyer told mediaguardian.co.uk he had advised clients to “hold their horses” to see what details emerged over the coming days but added that legal claims were “imminent”.
The report in the Sunday Times, sister paper of the News of the World, shed further light on the Gordon Taylor case.
The paper stated: “Taylor’s claim was settled when new evidence emerged out of the police files that another News of the World reporter knew how Mulcaire was obtaining some of his information,
“That reporter has since left the paper and there is no evidence he committed any offence. News International executives are not aware of any other evidence in the police files that show any other News of the World journalist was involved in commissioning Mulcaire to hack phones.”
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Rosanne Cash New Album:
w/ Boss, Elvis, Rufus, Tweedy
July 9th, 2009 |
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SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE ELVIS COSTELLO, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, JEFF TWEEDY AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
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Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will release her 12th studio album, entitled The List, on Manhattan Records on October 6, 2009. The new LP features Cash’s contemporary interpretations of 12 classic songs culled from a list of essential country tunes that her legendary father Johnny gave her in 1973, filtered through her own unique, sophisticated perspective.
Known primarily for her stellar songwriting, Cash showcases her incredible voice on The List — her first-ever covers record. As a result, the album is Rosanne Cash like you’ve never heard her before as she embraces her heritage and sings for the pure love and beauty of these songs which have shaped who she is as an artist.
Produced and arranged by Grammy winner John Leventhal (Cash’s husband, who also contributes guitar work throughout), The List includes Cash’s covers of songs with assistance of notable musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy and Rufus Wainwright.
The List is the first album Cash has made since she underwent surgery in 2007 for a benign brain condition, from which she has fully recovered.
Track Listing for The List:
1. Miss the Mississippi and You
2. Motherless Children
3. Sea of Heartbreak (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
4. Take These Chains From My Heart
5. I’m Movin’ On
6. She’s Got You
7. Heartaches by the Number (w/ Elvis Costello)
8. 500 Miles
9. Long Black Veil (w/ Jeff Tweedy)
10. Silver Wings (w/ Rufus Wainwright)
11. Girl From the North Country
12. Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow